No, it has never been asked. It is a rather touchy issue for them.

Leila is not a gung-ho Christian. She herself only converted because she had to. It was always more a case of her worshiping Leof than worshiping Christ. Now that Leof no longer holds that place in her life, she is going through the motions to some extent. She is a dutiful woman and will do everything "right", for her husband and for her kids and for her role in society.

Yusuf, on the other hand, is clinging to his religion all the harder the farther he gets from home. He feels very much like an outsider here, and he maintains his connection with his people by performing all the duties of a Muslim. When he prays, he knows that other Muslims all over the world are praying at the same time (and in the same direction). When he fasts for Ramadan, he knows that other Muslims all over the world are fasting too.

Yusuf has never felt that he belonged to a place. He has lived all over: Italy, Spain, maybe Greece and Egypt. Instead, he feels that he belongs to a people. His homesickness is due to the distance from his culture and his religion.

That's why he's so torn over his feelings for Irene. No matter how many other miracles would be required for a mere Moorish doctor to become the lover of a Byzantine Princess, the one impediment that he just can't see past is the difference in religion.

And his feelings for her are apparently interfering with his religion already, as well as his duties as a doctor. We saw this in "Yusuf's tale has negative effects" when he was beating himself up over it -- both for being unavailable to treat the man he had amputated because he was escorting Irene home, and because of his "lusting after a Christian woman in the holiest month of the Muslim year."

So in Yusuf and Leila we have a devout Muslim, and a woman who is not a devout Christian, nor was she a particularly devout Muslim. If Leila had been Yusuf's brother, I think he would have been a lot less understanding. He's obviously not rejoicing at her conversion, but he recognizes how little choice a woman has in such matters, and he's a marvelously compassionate man besides. (Not to mention he adores his big sister. They're the only children of a third wife who died young, so they grew up very close.)

But there is a lot of tension in the household. There's that awkward moment every time he disappears to pray (see "Yusuf confirms his suspicions", where Conrad is hanging out in the hallway to make sure Yusuf isn't unrolling a prayer rug in there). There's that awkward empty spot at the dinner table during Ramadan. There's that awkward silence after a "Merry Christmas" greeting. There is a lot of unspoken pressure on him to hurry up and convert already. (Plus he's living at Nothelm, stomping ground of Father Matthew, so there's probably some spoken pressure as well.)

Conversely Leila must be getting some silent disapproval from her brother meanwhile. That disapproving stare when he sees her scarfing candy at high noon during Ramadan and so on. But I don't think they talk about it much. I imagine Leila feels a yearning for her old religion at times, all mingled up in her homesickness. But they both know that's the way things are and there's not much to be done at this point.

I myself wonder how Cedric fits into all this. Poor earnest Cedric who "can't stop thinking about" becoming a priest. Dear, marvelously compassionate, awkward Cedric, who is the only one of Leila's children who speaks any Arabic, and who lies awake at night wondering whether it's more blasphemous to say "Inch'allah" or "By God's green teeth!" (when his father says both), and gets embarrassed when his mother dances like a Moor.

Cedric likes his uncle, but I think Yusuf is a lot closer to the younger ones. Cedric seems like he would be afraid to get too close to a Muslim.

Plus, there's Leof. I can see Leof putting his arm around Yusuf's shoulder and saying, "I love you runt, but the day I hear an Allah akhbar come out of that boy's mouth is the day the tongue comes out of yours."

Oh, definitely. There was never any question of the kids being raised as anything but Christians. That won't necessarily offer them 100% protection since they're all rather dark-skinned, but at least the First Crusade is still ten years off.

Seriously? You have to ask that about Papa Leof?

They may have a difficult time finding spouses. Or rather: their father may have a difficult time finding spouses for them. By the time some of those kids are of marrying age, the Crusades will be underway. Their blood may count as a black mark against them, which Leof will have to offset with an extra-fine dowry, or by aiming a little lower. OTOH both of his daughters with Leila will be gorgeous, so gorgeousness may offset darkness of skin to the right man. Raegan may have her pick.

All of his kids with Leila turned out nice-looking, actually. Cedric even escaped the family fish lips and is going to be one fine-looking man.